• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

What’s on TV? How to Make Google Search Recommend Your Favorite Streaming Shows and Movies

By
JP Mangalindan
JP Mangalindan
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
JP Mangalindan
JP Mangalindan
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 5, 2019, 8:02 PM ET

Google wants to help smartphone users find new (and old) favorite TV shows and movies to watch.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based tech giant announced an update on Thursday for its search engine on mobile, which will serve U.S. users with personalized TV and film recommendations across different streaming services.

Here’s how to get started: Mobile users who visit Google.com or Google’s search app simply have to type in a phrase including “what to watch” or “good shows to watch.” Google then serves up the names of TV shows and film titles across different genres, from somewhat older titles, like Desperate Housewives and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to more recent releases, including Disney’s live-action Aladdin and Avengers: Endgame. Then, Tinder style, users will swipe to “Like” or “Dislike” them.

Once that’s done, users pick which streaming services they subscribe to, including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and others, and the search engine will serve up recommendations based on their tastes.

Google’s latest update may seem minor, but it’s welcome in an age when consumers are inundated with streaming services, each with thousands of titles to watch. 

It’s also incredibly timely. Over the next 12 months, consumers will find themselves wading through loads of new options for streaming service subscriptions and content.

Apple is expected to debut its long-awaited Apple TV+ service this fall, with at least 34 original series and five movies, including The Morning Show, a drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell, and Dickinson, a comedic take on poet Emily Dickinson’s life, starring True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld.

Disney, meanwhile, plans on rolling out Disney Plus on Nov. 12 for $6.99 a month, or $12.99 as part of a larger bundle that includes Hulu and ESPN+. The Burbank, Calif.-based entertainment giant has been more forthcoming about its service in more recent months, promising a day one launch featuring more than 300 available movies and 7,500 TV episodes. Original shows in the works include the live-action Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian, a Star Wars Obi Wan Kenobi series with Ewan McGregor, and a revival of the teen sitcom Lizzie McGuire, starring Hilary Duff.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Android 10’s 7 most anticipated new features
—This new app puts deepfake technology in the hands of a mainstream audience
—Google hit with a record fine by the FTC for violating children’s privacy on YouTube
—A U.K court may have made police use of facial recognition easier
—Porsche unveils its first-ever electric car
Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.

About the Author
By JP Mangalindan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

zuckerberg on a screen in court
LawMeta
One in three teens ‘experienced problematic use’ of Meta platforms: closing arguments begin in landmark New Mexico social media trial
By The Associated Press and Morgan LeeMarch 23, 2026
10 hours ago
man on stage at conference
CryptoCryptocurrency
Strategy purchases another $76 million worth of Bitcoin, all through sales of common stock
By Carlos GarciaMarch 23, 2026
11 hours ago
woman in blue button down looking at a piece of paper
Future of WorkHiring
‘AI killed the cover letter.’ This Wharton economist says the hiring ritual’s days are numbered
By Catherina GioinoMarch 23, 2026
13 hours ago
Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman
SuccessJobs
Billionaire Reddit CEO Steve Huffman says his company will ‘go heavy’ on hiring graduates because ‘they’re so much more AI native’ than older peers
By Emma BurleighMarch 23, 2026
14 hours ago
CryptoVenture Capital
Exclusive: The CEOs of Kalshi and Polymarket are arch rivals—but are investing in the same $35 million prediction market VC fund
By Ben WeissMarch 23, 2026
15 hours ago
Will Wilson smiles
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Startup Antithesis turns years of real-world chaos into hours of simulated mayhem—and key trading firms and crypto networks are paying close attention
By Lily Mae LazarusMarch 23, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.